


why so complicated, won't you throw me a bone

by bellawritess



Series: lashton prompts [8]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Slash, Rating for Language, Werewolf Ashton Irwin, mermaid luke hemmings, silliness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-01
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:07:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27708100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellawritess/pseuds/bellawritess
Summary: Before Ashton, Luke hadn’t even known pretty werewolves existed. He hadn’t really thought a werewolf could be considered pretty. But Ashton is undeniably pretty, in a very scruffy kind of way, and from the moment he steps foot into the magic shop for the first time, roving eyes landing first on the rack of colorful candles and then onto Luke, Luke had been gone.
Relationships: Luke Hemmings/Ashton Irwin
Series: lashton prompts [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2026498
Kudos: 8





	why so complicated, won't you throw me a bone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FayeHunter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FayeHunter/gifts).



> **prompt:** “Oh, my ankle! I think it must be broken!" *wink wink*
> 
> [tumblr link!](https://clumsyclifford.tumblr.com/post/622415475270434816/for-prompt-thingy-you-just-posted-bc-we-keep)
> 
> title from talk fast by 5sos

Okay. In all honesty, the crystals are fake.

They have _real_ magical crystals, in the back, but those are on request only, because, as Michael and Luke had learned the hard way, _some_ people don’t know how to be responsible with genuine magic items. So they keep the real magical crystals under wraps and in careful storage, and out front all they’ve got are — well, they’re basically glorified rocks. A lot of them are _literally_ glorified rocks. Luke’s in charge of picking decent-looking stones from the ocean floor and glamming them up into something a little prettier. He’s a big fan of pretty things.

Also of pretty people. And pretty werewolves, like Ashton.

Before Ashton, Luke hadn’t even known pretty werewolves existed. He hadn’t really thought a werewolf could be considered pretty. But Ashton is undeniably pretty, in a very scruffy kind of way, and from the moment he steps foot into the magic shop for the first time, roving eyes landing first on the rack of colorful candles and then onto Luke, Luke had been gone.

Since Ashton introduced himself that first day, with a friendly but vaguely wolfish smile that showed only the tips of his canines, Luke has started to look forward to his visits. Not only does he enjoy Ashton’s company and commentary, he also very much appreciates the distraction from annoyingly persistent customers.

“Hey!” Luke cheers, as the chimes over the door twinkle. Ashton enters and meets Luke’s eyes. His face seems to brighten, just seeing Luke. It might just be the lighting in the shop, but Luke blushes anyway. 

“Excuse me,” says the woman standing at the counter. Luke sighs and returns his attention to the customer. “I’m asking if I can see the real crystals!”

“Ma’am, if I’ve told you once I’ve told you a hundred times,” he says impatiently. “The real crystals are for magic-users only.”

“And if I’ve told _you_ once or a hundred times, I _am_ a magic user!”

“Tarot reading unfortunately doesn’t fall under the magic umbrella necessary to access the crystals. I’m sorry.” As if they haven’t had this exact fucking conversation before. Ashton makes an apologetic face, and while the woman rummages around in her bag, Luke mouths _save me!_ Ashton frowns, then walks behind one of the shelves towards the back. Luke stares after him. If Ashton’s planning to help, he won’t do much good in the crystal ball section. Unless he intends to knock them all down, in which case Luke will kick his ass.

“You know,” the woman says, throwing her tarot deck onto the counter, “I saw this conversation happening. In the cards. And do you know what I drew when I asked how you would respond? _Death_.”

Luke resists the urge to roll his eyes. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he says, even though the death card doesn’t mean what this lady obviously thinks it means. Suddenly, there’s a dull thud, and Luke hears Ashton exclaim, “Oh, my ankle! I think it must be broken! Can somebody help me?”

 _Thank fuck_ , Luke thinks, and gives the woman his best apologetic smile. “So sorry, ma’am, this is an emergency.” He races around the counter towards where Ashton is. Hidden from view by the shelf, he’s sitting cross-legged on the floor, looking very pleased with himself.

“Pretend you’re actually injured, you idiot,” Luke whispers. Ashton grimaces.

“Ow! I’m in so much pain! I need to get home, stat.”

“I’ll help you,” Luke says loudly, putting an arm around Ashton and helping to heave him towards the door. “Michael! I’m taking this injured customer to the emergency room! Or, um, something like that.”

“You’re _what_?” comes Michael’s shouted reply, but the tarot woman is giving Luke suspicious looks, so Luke can’t really respond. 

“Sorry,” he tells her. “Come back another time?” _Or don’t. That’d be good, if you didn’t._ He hauls Ashton, who’s making halfhearted howling noises, through the door, and pretends to help him until they’re out of sight of anyone inside the magic shop.

“You’re the worst liar ever,” Luke complains once they’re out of the woods.

Ashton makes an offended noise. “I did you a favor!”

“Michael’s gonna be mad at me.” Luke shrugs. “Oh well.”

“That lady was _annoying_ , though,” Ashton says, shuddering. “I’m so glad I don’t work in retail.”

Luke huffs. “Shut up.”

“So now that you’re free, where are we going?” Ashton asks. 

Luke’s feet have already started instinctively taking him home, so he says, “Feel like going swimming?”

“You’re such a one-trick pony,” Ashton says, although he’s smiling.

“I’ll find you a sand dollar,” Luke promises. The first time he’d given Ashton a sand dollar he’d worried Ashton would find it silly or trivial, but Ashton’s grin had gotten so wide Luke thought it would split his face open, and he’d loudly proclaimed the gift to be his favorite he’d ever received. Somehow, though Luke really kind of is a one-trick pony, Ashton’s enthusiasm hasn’t waned. “Or a pearl, maybe.”

Ashton sucks in a delighted breath. “You can find those?”

If he can’t find them, he can probably make them, but Ashton doesn’t need to know that. “Yeah,” he says. “This may surprise you, but I’m pretty good at navigating the sea.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Ashton says as they reach the water’s edge. This close to home, Luke can feel the pull, the very gentle lilt of the waves lapping at the shore mixed with the sun glancing off the water. It’s music, all of it. Luke doesn’t think Ashton hears it, but Ashton has a sort of reverence on his face anyway, and somehow, that makes Luke like him more.

(Not that Luke needs to like him _more_.)

He dives smoothly into the water and shakes the magic off his legs until all that’s left is his tail, and then he swishes it a couple times to get the feeling back. This transition is always kind of weird, but Luke’s gotten much better at it.

“Are you coming in?” he asks.

Ashton hums lowly. “Do you want me to come in?”

Luke turns pink. “Um. I don’t, like…I don’t want to force you or anything. Obviously. I know it’s — swimming comes easier to me, like, of course, so — but if you want to? Yes? Sure?”

Ashton chuckles. “That was a really long-winded way of saying yes,” he says, toeing off his shoes and cuffing his jeans. “Some siren you are.”

“I’m not a siren,” Luke protests.

“Yeah, I can see why.”

“Hey!”

“Don’t worry,” Ashton says reassuringly, and before Luke can react he jumps into the water, splashing Luke and everything around him. When he surfaces, he says, “You still charm me.”

Luke feels warm despite the cold of the water, and doesn’t stop smiling even when Ashton splashes him.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading <3 i'm on tumblr [@clumsyclifford](http://clumsyclifford.tumblr.com/) so come say hey!


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